Urban Dare

So, on Friday, I'm just surfing the net, avoiding work and other things I should be doing and I come across the Urban Dare calender and realize the LA race is tomorrow, Saturday, (which is now yesterday) The race is part trivia, part road race, kind of like the amazing race, but one day and one city and..., you get the picture, or not, but anyway.

So I immediately register and then, after I've committed to it, then I start searching for a race partner(you must have a partner, there is no solo division). After frantic phone calling and mind racing, I find willing and able race partner Kip. Then I start trying to line up a support team. You need someone or better yet several people at computers to help answer the insane trivia questions and help navigate etc. End up enlisting my nephew Adam and Kip's wife Teresa, both awesome and huge help, really you can't do it without someone on the internet with advanced Google skills. Anyway here are some photos at various check points along the course

At the Grove, first check point, still looking fresh and smiling.




Second checkpoint, a little confused on clue, lost some time.



Made up some time, moving now.



Hey Kermit, moving along fast now and building up a sweat.



After a long run down Hollywood Blvd, photo and little rest(not really)



Ok, I'm not looking so good, looking pretty geeky. Yes I know the matching baby blue shirts had a looking like nerds from the start but now I'm really not looking so photogenic, at lest Kip's sporting cool shades and remembers that we are actually being photographed. Don't worry it gets worse. Also at this point we are running neck and neck with another team, so we will be trading cameras and taking pictures of each other from here till the finish.




This was an obstacle I opted to do. Find gum in a whip cream heap and then blow a bubble. Sounds easy but the whip cream sugarized the gum to make blowing a bubble virtually impossible.



Just before nasty gum challenge, sweety and promising myself to lose some weight and work on my cardio.





So close to the end.






The winners, note how young and fit they are. We came in 7th out of probably 30 to 40 teams, in just over 2 hours. Along the way we had some basket ball shooting obstacles, push-up/sit-up/squats, bubble blowing and finally some dart throwing before celebrating with some beers. Tons of fun, highly recommended and I look forward to the next one.



This was the team that we slogged it out with for the last few miles and check points. We just edged them out by hitting a bullseye before them. Fun competitors and good conversation after.
A final congratulations and thanks to Kip and our support crew of Adam and Teresa. Cindy who usually mans the computer and has gotten incredible at it was getting her hair done(No Joke) But gave encouraging phone just prior to the race and salon job.

Scattered update

Skye made it through another week of sleepaway camp up at Camp Hollywoodland, this time with her pal Amandla, who she has known since preschool. Luckily she lives close to us, so they get to hang out on a regular basis. Given the choice, Skye might have stayed up at camp, but...


We continue to have pizza making get togethers and the pizzas just keep getting better and my waistline continues to expand. So in an attempt to reclaim my body as well as a series of coincidences and synergies, I am getting back into Brazilian Jui jitsu, over at John Machado's studio. I studied more with his brother Rigan in Torrance way back when. It's been around 3 or 4 years since I last trained and I've been twice now and can barely walk, but it feels great to be back and it's just the kind of butt-kicking, I need to get back in shape. Anybody interested, it's an amazing workout and fun and I can hook you up. Anybody? Anybody? Bueller? Bueller?

Skye is currently going to a Sports Day camp. I'm not so sure how much they're really working on sports skills as opposed various games like capture the chicken, but she works up a sweat(not hard to do these days) and has a bunch of fun.
This week, Pilar, a friend from her Culver City school days joined her at camp. She heads off to yet another camp next week, back with pal Amandla. And then back to school with professor papa and a whole new series of adventures.



Cindy is back to work. I might be joining her for a short stint.

Summer is coming to and end.

The Magic and Science of Food

A few years ago, in a magazine, Bon Appetit or Gourmet, I ran across an recipe for frittatas that called for Lay's potato chips, and specifically Lay's plain, noting that the recipe's designer Ferran Adria, a controversial, innovative chef from Spain had experimented with several brands of potato chips and that the Lay's performed better than say a chip with ridges or a bar-b-que style chip. The term molecular gastronomy was thrown in, interesting concept, I thought. I then searched out the Lay's and other ingredients and ended up with a pretty wonderful brunch.

Since then I have become more and more interested in food and cooking, in the history of foods as well as the future of foods and cooking. On our road trip to Nicaragua, traveling companion/business partner/culinary enthusiast, Charles Lee and I ended up listening to a great book, "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan. A book that discusses how, what and why we eat what we do and the many resulting outcomes and implications. We were engrossed in it for many, many hours. For better or for worse we opted for it over the various Spanish lessons I had brought along.
This coupled with the wonderful food I had in Nicaragua, combined with a trip to Paris, along with the additions of a wood-fired oven intensified my desire to learn more about food and cooking, which somehow lead me to a wonderful DVD, "Decoding Ferran Adria" that Cindy and I watched with amazement and awe. I highly recommend it. You don't need to obsessive about cooking, although it helps, or interested in the science of food, also helpful. Ferran Adria is wonderful to watch. He is like Willy Wonka, in so many ways.

Ferran's culinary lab, El Taller

So I thought I would pass on these wonderful experiences.

Garden musings

Hello my friends
Well things have kind of slowed down, over here in the Carr-Danniells experience/experiment. Skye is back to sleep away camp over at Camp Hollywoodland. No apprehension this time around, just a "see ya' " to mom and dad. Cindy and I are looking for work, never a fun endeavor. And I continue "finishing" the back yard project. IT WILL NEVER BE FINISHED!!!!!

Among 16+ current projects is that of making basically a field guide to the back yard. So here are the first entries. My potted herb collection. Click on highlighted links to learn more. I am constantly clipping away at these guys. Soon I will be able to think finally about cooking and actually using aforementioned clippings. So if you happen to be in the neighborhood give a call and clip away and take home some fresh herbs or just wander around and pinch and smell them. Well I should really go, I have dozens of plants to prune, photo and blog about, not to mention all of my other projects, including finding a paying job. Ha, Ha. (No really I am needing to work and to all potential employers. Free fresh herbs and even some delicious home-made pizza)


Greek Oregano


Sweet Basil, White Oregano


Kentucky Colonel Mint

Serata Basil


Purple Basil, French Tarragon

French Tarragon
Cinnamon Basil


Paprika, Chile de Arbol



Cuban Oregano/Broadleaf Thyme

Italian Oregano


Lavender Mint

The quiet of cyberspace

Can you hear me?

I can't hear you.

I post my blogs for a variety of reasons. It's a great way for me to remember what the heck is going on in my life where I've been and when, a public diary as it were. I like sharing my experiences with friends, family and beyond. I don't have the time, energy or wherewithal to keep in touch with friends and family. I hope that I amuse, entertain, perhaps even educate. (You know you can click on those items in bold print and it links you to websites that have more info, pretty cool function actually.) You can also leave messages. Or e-mail(Click on View Profile and then contact). Even call. It's pretty weird, I don't know who reads the blog or when, whether people like it or loathe it and I accept that, I kind of love it in some ways. But every once in a while I could use a virtual-slap-on-the-back, an E-at-a-boy, a computer-kudo, you know something to let me know some one's out there, that you care. I'm gonna keep at it regardless but it would be nice. On that note, screams can't be heard in outer space, right? what about cyberspace? Anyway I would love to hear from you all, or a couple of you or something. I think I might write a comment to myself.

Where in the World is Diego?

We received some more e-mails from Diego. Cooling off and then making his way closer to home. (By the way, if he could e-mail, why didn't he go ahead and mapquest?)



And then we received this package. (I did Mapquest 828 Fantastic Avenue. No such address exists. However the package was sent from a 90065 Post Office, Glassell Park. Foul play???) No matter. The important thing is Diego is back.



I think the boys partied a little bit too hard. We may hear a lot of whimpering tomorrow.

Cool pics from disposible camera

I just got my underwater disposible camera from the Nicaragua trip developed. A lot of repeats and a bunch of lame stuff, but a few cool shots.



Skye underwater in Laguna de Apoyo


A shot from the middle of the lake. I swam out and did my best.




The new owner and thus our host at the guest house at La Orquidea, Mike, after a dive off the dock.

Tour de France; What the f---k is going on?

I was loving the Tour. I was finally getting it, understanding the points, the jerseys, the tactics, etc. I was cheering for Alexandre Vinokourov, who had a horrible crash and some 30 plus stitches in his knees and kept at it. I loved that Michael Rasmussen, "the little chicken" was stepping up to defend the Yellow jersey when he would have been happy with the king of the mountains jersey and then....

First Vino, the day after he won his second stage with no chance of winning the tour, he gets busted.

And then days away from winning the tour, also after winning the stage for the day, still in his yellow jersey, little chicken gets booted by one of his teams sponsors.

They better change something and quick, because as much as I love the Tour, this is getting ridiculous.

Comings and goings

Have summers always been this hectic? What ever happened to the lazy days of summer? Since that momentous event on 7-7-7, we have been at it. I rested for a few hours one day and felt like a total slacker. Granted much of our commitments have been merrymaking, which still takes an effort, believe me. Skye has been off to Camp Hollywoodland for a week of sleep over camp, followed up with Bubblefest, a fun homeschooling bubble-making extravaganza, and then sports camp. Cindy and I have meanwhile been looking for work, partying like rock stars and cleaning up like Cinderella, pre-glass slipper. Have seen lots of friends and chilled and worked hard.

Party at Max's. Skye was in the pool for hours.


Patrick and Steven, guests for a week, found a place in the OC and are off to pursue their skimboarding dreams, good luck guys.



Amazing brunch with friends, Charles and Karen.


Skye with Hollywoodland camp counselors

There were movie outings, other dinners and parties and lunches and on and on. These are just those that I had photos of.

Pizza making a go-go

On my 40th birthday bash we fired up the pizza oven and did our best to make a few pizzas. A lot was going on, I was pulled in ten different directions, we had the grill going; it perhaps was not the best time to craft a fine pizza. That being said, we turned out a couple of OK, not so bad pizzas. Even though we got it fired up pretty hot, we never got it to the extreme heat we needed it at. (Sorry, no pictures)

The second firing, I definitely got it up to a huge heat, too huge. I could barely get the pizza in and off the paddle. It was charred almost before it came off the paddle. I singed my arms, but the pizzas were pretty yummy. (Again no photos)
Third firing, getting better. (Sorry no pics)

Meanwhile, I had been studying and reading about pizza-making. Purchased and perused, Pizza, A Slice of Heaven , very interesting history of pizzas. Also took a nice research lunch at Mozza, amazing pizzas, great wine, wonderful atmosphere, what our pizzas want to be... and came pretty close to at ....

Our fourth and latest pizza making night.
Yummy. yummy, yummy



Nice fire, hot, oven heat in the 900's F, oven floor at around 650F- 750F.
Pizzas took between 2 to 4 minutes to cook.
I can barely remember the various types of pizzas we made, busy tending to the fire and the turning and moving the pizzas.



Click to enlarge this photo and then check out the pizza. These were pretty close to perfect. By the way all this experimenting, great for the soul and taste buds, not so great for losing weight. Oh well, can't have it all.


Sondra, a fabulous guest.

Old, great friend Terrell and me


Max and me.



Charles and Sondra


Guests from Tokyo, amazing friend and filmmaker Deborah and new friend Taka.

Dog gone!!! No really lost dog, dog is gone!!

LOST DOG, PLEASE HELP

When it happened, I mean I was in full party mode. There were around 100 people over the course of the day. When Cindy told me Diego was missing, I figured he was hiding, like dogs do on Fourth of July, you know the fireworks freak them out, but they come back after a day or so.

Where's our friend, Diego?

Or maybe he jumped in someone's bag and they'd give us a call and we'd pick him up or something. But we've recently gotten a couple of e-mails from him, and now I'm concerned....


1st E:mail

I am lost.


We respond:

 Where are you?? We've been so worried!? It's so
good to know you're alive (are you still?)? Please
come home to us... Anyone with information regarding
our dearly beloved puppy - PLEASE RETURN HER TO
US!!!

2cnd E:mail

Hitched a ride tonight. Not sure where I am.

We respond:

Baby you must demand to be let free - you're showing signs of stockholm syndrome - and felipe and pepe miss you so much... dearest diego, please come back for the sake of our family -

3rd, final and latest e:mail:

This looks nice.



Meanwhile Pepe and Felipe scour the "Lost and Found" in the paper.



They can't believe he's really gone. They are heart broken.



P.S. They both agreed you can have your center spot back and they're willing to call you Jefe, if you would just come back.